Hard Work

I have lost 20# since my peak, following our Christmas Markets cruise and then Costa Rican birding trip. I can fit into all of my slacks with room to spare, including the several pairs of khakis I bought who knows why, a gazillion years ago. They will be my winter wardrobe. We are on that eat less, exercise more regimen. More vegetarian meals, less animal protein. I’ve also quit drinking alcohol, except for a delicious charred pineapple Paloma on our anniversary. Seems to be working. 

Grant has lost 15#, enough from his waist so that his shorts, being held up with suspenders, looked like the old clown in a barrel routine. I refused to be seen with him until he bought new clothes. 

His first order was for 42” waist shorts, which looked like ruffle tops when he tried them on with a belt. Nope, back they went. Second try was 40” waist. Much better, even a little loose. I am hoping these will be too big in a few months.

In addition to looking and feeling better, he is snoring at a lower level, with fewer gasps. Both of us are sleeping with less waking. He hasn’t gotten the results from the apnea test he took a couple of weeks ago.

Every morning, except Thursdays, my EarlyBird Toastmasters meeting day, I am working 2 hours in the yard. That’s all I can do, now that summer has really set in. In the upper 80s to lower 90s by midday. After I put my tools away, I flop into the pool for a float to cool down. Even it’s beginning to be warm, now that the nights aren’t particularly cool. Still refreshing.

I am concentrating on getting all of the sunshine mimosa out of the northeast bed, where I planted it in hope and ignorance a couple of years ago. Yes, it is a native. Yes, its little pink pompon flowers are so cute. Yes, the bees, especially the bumblebees, like it. No, it cannot stay. It took over the entire plot. Now I’m digging it out by the roots, those 12-18” roots. If I can get right over one, I can often pull it straight out. If not, I’m cutting it under ground level and spraying it with a glyphosate. Not organic. I don’t care. I did have my yard helper CC dig up a 3’x3’ square of turf out at the swale where we have planted some starts. It can take over that area. Just not my yard.

Today I finished digging out around as close as I dared to the volunteer long leaf pine. I hope I haven’t damaged its roots. After putting down heavy newspaper and a layer of mulch, I going to add the Legacy Tree plaque, claiming it as my Town of Windermere Centennial Tree, the 100 Trees for 100 Years project we on Tree Board got roped into sponsoring. (I’m planting the actual tree I got from this activity farther back in the side yard since there isn’t enough room out front to fit it in where it can be seen from public property, a requirement.)

A week ago Friday evening, 5:00-7:00, was the Last Chance Giveaway of these trees, free to town residents. Vicki had organized the drive-through layout, with police tape and cones set up to guide the recipients, signs directing them to get their free bag of mulch, then their tree. I’d made printed calendars for them to view, so I could pin them down on when they were actually going to plant their tree so I could come present them their plaque and take a picture. The latter is so we know where those dang trees end up and can make a map from the photos’ GPS locations. Frank came to assist. Where were the rest of Tree Board? I was exhausted after being in the sun and heat. Thank goodness there was a tent for shade we could sit under when we weren’t talking to the people, sitting in their cars with their AC.

I have also dug up 2 large pieces of concrete from next to the driveway. It took me 2 mornings. Grant was able to lift the smaller one. When he dropped it on the driveway, it broke in half, easier to move later. I think I’m going to use the pieces for stepping stones. The other piece was so big, we couldn’t get it up out of the hole. Fortunately, Steve, a Windermere resident who walks past our house most mornings, offered to help. Oh, to be 50 or 60 and strong. I didn’t recognize him without his dogs, Blue and Sky, one of whom he said has gone to Doggie Heaven, the other to their house in North Carolina and cooler weather. The concrete pieces are still lying on the driveway. I think the big piece will become “art” close to where it is now sitting, landscaped with Stokes asters around it.